April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\nMitch Keller (1-0, 1.50 ERA) delivered his second straight quality start to begin the year, tossing six innings for the Pirates (4-3) while allowing two runs on six hits with four walks and strikeouts.<\/p>\n
He threw 88 pitches, 56 of which were strikes, to pick up his first victory of 2026.<\/p>\n
Jared Triolo added a pair of hits and an RBI, and Gregory Soto recorded his first save of the season despite allowing a ninth-inning solo homer to Gunnar Henderson.<\/p>\n
Facing Orioles starter Kyle Bradish, Griffin came to the plate for the first time in the bottom of the second.<\/p>\n
Battling four straight out-of-the-zone sliders, he then connected on a hanging curveball and lined a double to left-center for his first career hit.<\/p>\n
Moments later, Triolo singled home Griffin, who slid headfirst into home plate.<\/p>\n
Henry Davis followed with an RBI double down the left-field line to make it 3-0.<\/p>\n
The Pirates kept piling on, with Oneil Cruz collecting an RBI next, depositing a grounder into left field to score Davis for a 4-0 advantage.<\/p>\n
The Orioles (3-4) threatened in the fourth, getting men on first and third with two outs, but Keller managed to strike out Colton Cowser to end the inning.<\/p>\n
In the fifth, Baltimore got a pair back, cutting the Pirates\u2019 lead to 4-2.<\/p>\n
Henderson doubled into the right-field corner, scoring Blaze Alexander, who led off with a single.<\/p>\n
After Keller got two strikeouts, Adley Rutschman then drove home Henderson with an RBI double that Cruz was unable to make a play on in center field.<\/p>\n
The Pirates, who ended Bradish\u2019s afternoon after four innings and 81 pitches, took a 5-2 lead in the fifth.<\/p>\n
Dietrich Enns, taking over on the mound, walked Bryan Reynolds and Marcell Ozuna before a wild pitch advanced Reynolds to third.<\/p>\n
Ryan O\u2019Hearn then recorded his seventh RBI of the season, scoring Reynolds with a sacrifice fly.<\/p>\n
After Spencer Horwitz walked, Griffin came up for his third at-bat of the day.<\/p>\n
Despite Griffin avoiding a called third strike via ABS challenge, he still went down swinging on a full-count fastball.<\/p>\n
The Pirates turned to Yohan Ramirez in the seventh.<\/p>\n
Ramirez had a shaky appearance, allowing a single, RBI double to Taylor Ward and eight-pitch walk to Pete Alonso, before Mason Montgomery took over with one out.<\/p>\n
Montgomery recorded the inning\u2019s final two outs to maintain the Pirates\u2019 5-3 lead.<\/p>\n
In the eighth, Dennis Santana pitched a clean frame.<\/p>\n
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